The front entrance of the Art Institute of Chicago is closed before 10:30am, and anytime without a pass to the Museum. You must enter through the Modern Wing at 230 S. Columbus Drive for conference programming taking place in the Rubloff Auditorium.

For better or worse, science is affecting every aspect of society and culture. A new, influential breed of artists, many of them sculptors, works on the cutting edge of art and science. Ten sculptors were selected to give fast-paced and stimulating 5-minute presentations loaded with dynamic visuals and transformative themes.

How do public art projects develop? This panel will explore City public art programmes as well as artist-led approaches from both Scotland and the US, including examples from Glasgow, Scotland, Atlanta GA and Scottsdale, AZ.

Protagonists working in the field continuously expand, redefine and push the boundaries of sculpture. Sculpture that closely interacts with architecture or the public realm creates thought-provoking urban experiences in endeavors that become destinations in their own right, closely tying the art to sites’ socio-cultural and political meanings in an ever more complex layering of meaning. Panelists present programs and strategies in their respective roles of cultural manager, curator, artist, and patron, zooming in on processes, objectives, audiences and the question of legacy, while gauging impacts ranging from local to international.

There is more to every RFQ than meets the eye! Using a current call–for–artists as a real–life example, you will learn how to analyze an RFQ to decide if it's worth your time to apply, and what the commissioning agency is trying to achieve with public art for its constituency. Armed with this knowledge, you will be better prepared to write the targeted letter of interest that could boost you into the finalist arena.

As we enter the age of professionally managed construction permits, processes, plans and places, introducing public art demands greater attention to process than ever. This session explores process case studies from public sculpture already launched into the built world -- from the perimeters, architects, fabricators, construction managers and installer’s points of view.

Artists seeking a larger platform of expression can work effectively on interdisciplinary teams, influencing and shaping urban infrastructure, the new frontier for artist intervention. This panel will address ways that artists can play a significant role in the design of our cities through integration of art and artists’ thinking in infrastructure projects.

West Loop Gallery Hop
A map is available in your conference bag
Take the Green Line subway toward Harlem
Depart at Morgan / Lake Station

5:00PM-10:00PM

Reception and Open House at Sedgwick Studios*
1544 N. Sedgwick
RSVP Required*

Sedgwick Studio Presents a Reception and Open House at one of Chicago's more unique art studios, a former CTA substation in historic Old Town. Artists in Sedgwick will open their doors while guests enjoy drinks and food. Transportation is not provided for this event, but the studio is located at the brown and purple “L” Sedgwick stop.

Vector Custom Fabricating is taking the occasion of the ISC Conference in Chicago to express it’s gratitude to all the artists that have employed its services over the past 34 years. Vector is an artist owned and operated company specializing in the fabrication of sculpture. An exhibit showcasing its long history of collaborations will accompany a Pig Roast featuring beer from a local brewery. This celebration is open to all attendees of the ISC conference. Vector is located in an industrial neighborhood dating back to the 1850’s. Transportation is not provided for this event. Located just 15 minutes west of the Loop.

This late-night “Carnival of Fire” will include an iron pour, glass blowing, fire spinning, fire breathing, fire hooping, and more, focusing on this use of fire as a sculptural element. www.igniteglasschicago.com. Transportation is not provided for this event.

The front entrance of the Art Institute of Chicago is closed before 10:30am, and anytime without a pass to the Museum. You must enter through the Modern Wing at 230 S. Columbus Drive for conference programming taking place in the Rubloff Auditorium.

When does an artist transition from traditional analog to digital when creating work? What are the ramifications of this movement in sculptural aesthetics and techniques? Artists will discuss sculptures produced using both techniques, examining the strengths and shortfalls involved in the making their work.

What are the new models for public art? Can public art be temporary? Can public art have an agenda? For artists liberated from the demands of permanent public art, these new models offer the freedom to experiment with fresh ideas and explore new directions in their work. This has produced innovative and exciting public sculpture that often results in quite distinctive and often challenging forms of engagement with the public. How are sculptors engaging with the community to create public sculpture? The panel will discuss fresh community-based models used to ideate and generate public sculpture, funding methods, and the new critical and theoretical basis supporting it all. Featured projects include work in New Zealand, the US, and Mexico.

Topical questions informing many practices today question sustainability and responsibility. The artist’s vision must be broad and innovative and responsive to the present moment, the future, and to the environment. Solar, wind, and water are the materials of the new aesthetic solutions, and the environmental costs of a sculptors’ materials are both environmental and financial considerations. In order to truly transform urban communities through sculpture, artists will broaden their potential for interaction through impacting the nature of city infrastructure itself, in addition to traditional public art channels and the proliferation of temporary projects. The citizens of a community, their needs, desires, and critical feedback are also a resource – how does a sculptor work with a community to rebuild and strengthen a healthy social and environmental network?

Over the past decade there has been a proliferation of alternative models for temporary outdoor public art projects in New Zealand. These have become the principal forums for the public’s encounter with contemporary sculpture practice. They have facilitated new forms of patronage in civic, corporate and private enterprise. For artists liberated from the demands of permanent public art, these new models off the freedom to experiment with fresh ideas and explore new directions in their work. This had produced innovative and exciting public sculpture that often results in quite distinctive and often challenging forms of engagement with the public. We will approach these South Specific developments in temporary public art from three distinctive but complementary perspectives.

In this workshop, Donna Dodson will demonstrate the use of online tools like email and blogs for cultivating a fan base. Social media tools like Facebook will also be discussed as a way of reaching out to and keeping in touch with collectors, curators and critics. Bring a laptop, iPad or web enhanced mobile device and all of your questions to this informative meeting.

The International Sculpture Center is proud to bring the work of the 2011 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Awards recipients to the Chicago Arts District!

In addition to the Student Awards exhibit, the ISC’s gallery will showcase the littleSCULPTURE show, displaying artwork by our ISC members and conference attendees. This exhibition of small works will showcase how these talented artists handle the challenges of space and scale as dictated by the 8” x 8” x 8” size restriction. The ISC welcomes you to explore these exhibits, as well as the vast array of galleries, performances and artist’s studio tours offered during the Pilsen East Artists' Open House.

The Pilsen East Artists' Open House is one of the oldest continuously–run annual arts events in Chicago and the Midwest, now in its 42nd year! During this event, the more than 30 galleries in the Chicago Arts District AND many of the artist residences and studios are open for viewing! Visitors can buy art, enjoy a performance, view the curated show, or stroll through the gardens of the Chicago Arts District. The Opening Night Gala offers opening receptions at all participating galleries.

Join us in celebration of the Chicago Park District / Chicago Sculpture International Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition! The reception includes two complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres as well as a cash bar. The show features a catalog of the work and the reception that is open to all ISC conference attendees.

The Belmont Harbor Yacht Club is located in Lincoln Park at the northern end of Belmont Harbor on the coast of Lake Michigan at 3600 Recreation Drive, 60613. Transportation will not be provided for this event.

6:00PM-8:00PM

Form in Flora III at the Lincoln Park Conservatory*
2391 North Stockton Drive
*RSVP Required

Join us for a networking event at the Lincoln Park Conservatory and the Form in Flora III show featuring ISC Chapter work! Sculpture will be on display in every room as well as the conifer garden surrounding the building. Transportation is not provided for this event.

6:00PM-10:00PM

The Installation Experiment Artist Performance and Reception
1800 South Halsted Street, East Pilsen

“The Installation Experiment,” an exhibition featuring seven Chicago-based artists will be held in the Chicago Arts District (CAD) September 9 – October 31, 2012. All artists are members of CSI and ISC. The artists created installations in seven storefront galleries along the 1800 block of South Halsted Street, East Pilsner. These show POD exhibition spaces provide a rich public art experience that breaks down the traditional parameters of a gallery or museum. The exhibition, lit 24 hours/day, is visible from the sidewalk. The public may view the installations anytime, any day during the exhibition run. “The Installation Experiment” is one of twelve featured events for “Chicago Artists Month,” a city-wide event coordinated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago foundry faculty, staff, alumni, and current students will conduct a series of demonstration pours. With three different furnaces melting iron, and beer and brats available to attendees; the sparks, food, and the excitement are all part of this great event! Conference attendees are invited to create sculpture, too! Scratch molds are available for $20 to purchase onsite. Participants take these molds and "scratch" into them a design of their choice. Molten iron is then poured into the molds and then cooled. The resulting artwork is then ready to take home as a great souvenir from the 23rd International Sculpture Conference.

In the 21st century, there has been a resurgence of ecologically conscious art using new media technologies. Like Eco-art, this recent Ecomedia movement is interdisciplinary and global. Ecomedia is heavily influenced by developments in science, particularly remote imaging and other Earth sensing (for example, the widespread use of GPS data) and developments in computer modeling (for example, detailed models that not only model the physics of the Earth and solar system, but also explore the Earth’s chemistry and biology). This panel will present a series of public art work case studies, both permanent and temporary, that could be considered Ecomedia.

Over the past twenty years the amount of college art programs offering various degrees in all types of media and criticism have grown exponentially. It is evident that ideation has taken precedent over tangible process-oriented skills, and it is quite possible that not making something is becoming the norm in sculptural education. This panel will discuss how this has happened and how a well-balanced pedagogical approach can be taken where both are seamlessly integrated without obvious separation.

This panel will inform ISC members and conference attendees how the three current affiliate chapters formed, the benefits of becoming a member of one or more of them and how other sculpture groups can become affiliate chapters of the ISC.

The 23rd International Sculpture Conference Celebration continues with the Furnace & Finale Party at Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park Saturday evening. Visiting Artists George Beasley and Carolyn Ottmers will heat up the night sky with a ferrous sculptural pyrotechnic spectacle. This event incorporates iron casting, joie de vivre, the landscape, pyrotechnics, theater into a gestural flourish.

*Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park is accessible by metro train to the University Park Stop. A shuttle will run from the train stop to the park.

Transportation to Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park

The simpliest way to get to Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park is to take Metra Train to University Park Station. You can get the Metra Train in the Millennium Park station, the most conveniently located station to other conference activities. The entrance to Millennium Station is on Randolph St. near Michigan Ave.

The evening of the Finale, the train runs every half hour. It is a one-hour trip to the Park.
Trains leave at: 4:08pm, 4:38pm, 5:08pm, 5:38pm, 6:08pm, 6:38pm, 7:20pm.

A Governor’s State University shuttle will take you from the station to the Park, and return you to the Metra train station at the end of the evening.